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National conference raises awareness
of FAZDs among extension agents
and specialists from 16 states
Extension agents and specialists from 16 states learned about the high risks of potentially catastrophic animal diseases to the nation's agriculture economy during a recent conference in El Paso co-sponsored by the FAZD Center.

The National Extension Conference for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense, held Sept. 18-19, raised awareness among extension dairy specialists, livestock specialists, veterinary medicine specialists, poultry specialists and county extension agents from Texas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Arkansas, Idaho, New Jersey, Maine, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Michigan, New Hampshire, Kansas and Wisconsin.
Speakers included:
  • Two FAZD Center investigators, Dr. Andy Vestal and Dr. Shannon Degenhart, who introduced the County Animal Security and Health Network (CASHN), a county-level network of feed retailers established and maintained by county extension agents. The network is activated by the state veterinarian to deliver critical disease alerts and educational material to owners of non-commercial livestock and poultry. Degenhart is a Texas AgriLife Extension program specialist. Vestal is a professor and Texas AgriLife Extension specialist for homeland security and emergency management.
  • Dr. Buddy Faries, a FAZD Center principal investigator, who introduced the center's national "train the trainers" curriculum in catastrophic livestock and poultry diseases. Faires is a professor and Texas AgriLife Extension program leader for veterinary medicine.
  • Kay Ledbetter, associate editor and communication specialist with Texas AgriLife Extension, introduced Media Relations Made Easy: a risk communications training program co-sponsored by the FAZD Center.
  • Dr. Thomas F. Powdrill, the FAZD Center's assistant director for external affairs, who briefed the audience on the impact of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9.
  • Dr. Steve Van Wie, a veterinarian, consultant and trainer in biosecurity, explained how the introduction of a FAZD such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) could abruptly halt the production and distribution of livestock food products -- leading to the economic devestation of U.S. producers, processors and markets.
  • Dr. Suzanne Burnham, a veterinarian with the Texas Animal Health Commission, explained why FMD is a high-consequence threat to the U.S. livestock economy and how the disease could spread rapidly as a biological attack on the United States.
  • Dr. Billy Dictson of the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) explained the multi-state network's role in delivering assistance during disasters. EDEN co-sponsored the conference.
  • Dr. James Dickson, supervising inspector for the Texas Animal Health Commission, detailed the impact of a catastrophic animal disease (bovine tuburculosis) on the daily industry of El Paso County. In addition, Vestal discussed the massive state-wide effort (Operation No Fences to rescue livestock along the areas of the Texas Gulf Coast ravaged by Hurricane Ike.
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VIDEO: Dr. Andy Vestal explains the conference's objectives